Container carrier

ABSTRACT

A container carrier made from a single rectangular blank of sheet material particularly suitable for containers having substantially parallel body walls. The blank has container receiving and handle openings cut therein and has a plurality of transverse parallel score lines. The blank is folded back upon itself and the end panels thereof are adhesively joined to form a handle section and a container separator section. The adhesively joined and folded blank constitutes the complete carrier which may be shipped in flat condition. To erect the carrier the two ends of the folded blank are pushed toward each other causing centrally disposed carrier panels which include container receiving openings to belly outwardly to a horizontal position with respect to the end sections. In this position a pair of openings in register in the carrier panels receive the body of the container. When the handle portion of the carrier is raised and the carrier panels are canted with respect to each other, the edges of the container receiving openings frictionally grip the parallel body walls of the container preventing the container from falling out of the carrier. The greater the upward force exerted on the handle section, the greater the gripping action on the walls of the container. Tabs surrounding each of the container receiving openings may be provided to increase the gripping action of the carrier. In addition, the blank may be coated in the area of the container receiving openings to increase the friction between the carrier and the container. The carrier may be of double thickness to give added strength and may be provided with extra panels for imprinting advertising lengends or the like thereon.

United States Patent Gordon 1 Feb. 25, 1975 CONTAINER CARRIER Robert L. Gordon, Monroe, NY;

International Paper Company, New York,

July 2, 1973 Inventor:

Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

[52] U.S. Cl 294/872, 206/139, 206/427, 224/45 AB, 294/8728 Int. Cl B65d 71/00 Field of Search"... 294/27 R, 27 H, 31 A, 31.2, 294/87, 87.2, 87.26, 87.28; 206/65 C, 65 D,

65 E; 224/45 AA, 45 AB, 45 BA; 229/28 BC,

Smed 294/872 Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry Attorney, Agent, or FirmRonald F. Ball; Charles B. Smith [57] ABSTRACT A container carrier made from a single rectangular II II I I/IIII/IIIII blank of sheet material particularly suitable for containers having substantially parallel body walls. The blank has container receiving and handle openings cut therein and has a plurality of transverse parallel score lines. The blank is folded back upon itself and the end panels thereof are adhesively joined to form a handle section and a container separator section. The adhesively joined and folded blank constitutes the complete carrier which may be shipped in flat condition. To erect the carrier the two ends of the folded blank are pushed toward each other causing centrally disposed carrier panels which include container receiving openings to belly outwardly to a horizontal position with respect to the end sections. In this position a pair of openings in register in the carrier panels receive the body of the container. When the handle portion of the carrier is raised and the carrier panels are canted with respect toeach other, the edges of the container receiving openings frictionally grip the parallel body walls of the container preventing the container from falling out of the carrier. The greater the upward force exerted on the handle section, the greater the gripping action on the walls of the container. Tabs surrounding each of the container receiving openings may be provided to increase the gripping action of the carrier. In addition, the blank may be coated in the area of the container receiving openings to increase the friction e n s ca r a t e.cq ainersT qganisr may be of double thickness to give added strength and may be provided with extra panels for imprinting advertising lengends or the like thereon.

8 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PATENTEB FEB25I975 SHEET 1 BF 5 PATENTEB FEB2 5 I975 sum 2 or 5 PAIENIH] FEB 2 51975 sum 3 9 5 BASE LINE PATENTED FEB 2 5 I975 SHEET 5 BF 5 CONTAINER CARRIER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an improved carrier for a plurality of containers and more particularly for carrying a plurality of containers having substantially parallel body walls.

2. Description of the Prior Art Carriers made from one-piece die cut sheet material and designed to carry a plurality of containers are common. However, although there are many forms of such carriers, substantially all of them either require intricate die cut blanks, use a relatively large amount of material, are complicated to put together or require use with a container having a special shape or finish.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. to Houle 2,427,105 discloses a bottle carrier made of sheet material wherein the blank must be cut to produce various notches, eyelets and apertures as well as generally oval shaped openings for the bottles, and to erect the carrier a cord must be threaded through the eyelets, apertures and notches of the folded blank.

US. Pat. No. to Koerber 2,513,495 discloses a carrier made from a one-piece blank having notches, slits and tabs, as well as bottle receiving openings cut therein. It too requires a relatively complicated erection procedure, and when assembled is suitable for carrying only one row of bottles.

US Pat. No. to OSullivan 2,615,750 discloses a relatively simple carrier made from a one-piece blank. However, it is usable only with a container of special configuration having in downwardly progressive vertical order, an enlarged portion, a restricting portion, a second enlarged portion, a second restricting portion and a neck portion.

US. Pat. No. to Zalkind 2,710,219 requires a blank cut to a relatively complicated shape which can be used only with bottles provided with a special abutment or projection which cooperates with a lip portion of the carrier to hold the bottle within the carrier.

Other forms of carriers are available, but it is believed that each suffers from one or more of the shortcomings referred to.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The one-piece carrier of the present invention is die cut from a rectangular blank of container board or the like. The blank has handle holes and a plurality of container receiving openings cut into it.

In one embodiment of my invention which I have shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 with openings for six containers, the unfolded blank is divided by transverse score lines into eight panels. Starting at one end of the blank these are a container separator panel, two adjacent panels each containing a row of three aligned circular container receiving openings, two adjacent handle panels each containing an opening for the hand or fingers, another pair of adjacent panels each containing a row of three aligned circular container receiving openings and a second container separator panel.

The die cut blank is folded over on itself along the transverse score line separating the two handle panels. When the blank is folded the two handle panels are at one end of the folded blank and they are joined to each other in face-to-face engagement with adhesive or the joined to each other but are separable.

The unerected carrier, i.e., the folded blank, may be shipped in the flat condition-to a user, for example, a bottling plant or packer. At the bottling plant the two ends of the unerected carrier are pushed toward each other so that the unjoined sections which include the container receivings openings will belly outwardly, folding along transverse score lines to provide a pair of opposed transverse panels on each side of the handle section intermediate the handle and container separator sections. In the fully extended condition the op posed transverse panels will be substantially parallel to each other with the container receiving openings of one panel in register with the openings of the opposed panel.

The carrier, with the transverse panels in fully extended condition, may then be lowered over six upright containers arranged in two rows of three each with the separator and handle sections of the carrier positioned between the two rows of containers and the extended transverse sections engaging the parallel body walls of the containers approximately. at the midpoint of the latter. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5 the container receiving openings are circular and of a diameter substantially the same as or slightly greater than the diameter of the cylindrically shaped containers. When the opposed transverse panels are in their fully extended position the container receiving openings are in register as explained-above. However, as the handle section of the carrier is raised and the transverse panels separate at their inner edges, a horizontalprojection of the aligned openings tends to form an ellipse, the lesser diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of the bottle. The greater the distance between the inner edges of the transverse panels, the smaller the lesser diameter of the ellipse. Thus, as the handle is raised, the inner and outer segments of the openings adjacent the lesser diameter will frictionally grip opposed segments of the cylindrical containers and prevent them from being dislodged from the carrier. The frictional holding force of the edges of the holes against the parallel walls of the bottle tends to increase as the upward force on the handle increases.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved container carrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier that can be die cut from a rectangular blank of material, formed into a carrier by a simple folding and gluing operation, and shipped to the bottling plant or packer in a flat condition.

A further object of my invention is to provide a carrier of simple construction that can, be erected rapidly and without difficulty.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a carrier that uses a minimum amount of material.

The present invention as well as further objects and features thereof will become more fully apparent from junction with theappende'd drawings. 7

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of my.inven tion showing the carrier affixed. to six cylindrically shaped bottles.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank for the carrier shown in FIG. 1. i

FIG; 3 is a vertical sectional view; of the carrier in' folded form asit is shipped from the manufacturer to the user. a i

the following detailed description when read in con- 7 24', 26,28 which are parallel to each other and'along 'whichthe. blank is adapted to be folded. The portionof 'the'blank between the left end of the blank'andscore 3 line l6'defines a container separator panel 30. The por tainer receiving openings 34 are die c ut'in panel32.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the carrier with the two ends thereof pushed toward each otherwith the transverse panels in extended condition and the carrier lowered over the bottles to. becarried.

. FIG. is a vertical sectional viewof my carrier taken 7' generally along the lines 5+5ofFlG. 1 with bottles in place and the handle member raised to cause the edges of the container receiving openings to frictionally grip the cylindrical sides ofthebottles. I

FIGLG is a perspective viewofanother form of my inrectangular cross section and with substantially. parallel body walls. I

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the blank for the carrier 7 shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a blank showing a modification of the container receiving openings.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, simi- I lar to FIG. 4, of a carrier embodying the modification shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is another fragmentary vertical section,simivention showing the carrier affixed to two containers of tion of the blank between the score lines, 16 and .18 de-- fines a transverse panel 32.,Threealigned circular con- Each of the openingsis spaced equidistant from score lines 16 and 18 and each hasa diameter equaltoor slightly largerfthan the outside diameter of the cylindrically shaped bottles 12. i

The portion of the blankbetween score lines l8' and I 20 definesanother transverse panel36 ofa width substantially equal to that of transverse panel 32 and provide'd with three additional die cutcontainer receiving openings 38'. Each of these openings isequidistant from-- score lines 18 a.nd-.20. The three openings 38 are alignedwith the three openings 34' in transverse panel;

40 and'42 of equal width, each provided with a cut out portion 44 for gripping purposes. As shown, the cut out portions 44fare equally spaced from score line 22.

3 Score lines 24,26and 28define-twoadditionaltrans- I and 48 are of a width equal to transverse panels 32 and V lar to FIG. 5, of acarrier embodying the modification shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a carrier taken along the line 7 lll1 ofFIG. 9. 7

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a carrier taken along the line 12-12 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another form of my invention showing a laminated carrier having a vertical panel which will allow more advertising space on the carrier.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the blank for the carrier shown in FIG. 13.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring particularly to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 of the drawings, the carrier 10, which is designed to carry six cylindrically shaped bottles-l2 in two longitudinal rows of three each, is formed from a rectangularly shaped blank 14;

verse panels46j and 48 of equal width. Panel 46is pro vided withthr'ee container receiving openings 50 and I f panel 48'is provided with three openings 52. Panels 46 36. Each of the three openings 50 isequidistant from score lines 24 and 26', andeach of the threeopenings 52 is equidistant from score lines 26 and 28, Openings Y 50 are aligned withopenings 52. Openings 50 and 52 are the same size as openings 34 and 38. Theportionl of the blank between soore'line 28 and the right end of the blank defines a second containerseparator panel 54 equal in width to separator panel 30 at the opposite end of the blank.

After the blank has been scored and the containerre ceiving and handle openings have been cut therein, the 7 blank is folded upon itself along score line 22, as shown in FIG. 3, so that one+half of the blank comes into faceto-face engagement with the other half..Opposed container separator panels 30 and 54 are joined to each other with adhesive 56 as are opposed handle panels 40 f and 4 2. In the folded condition, transverse panel 46 is opposed to and in face-to-face engagement with transverse panel 36. However, thesepanels are not adhe-. sively joinedto one another but are separable. Similarly, transverse panel 48 is opposed to and in. face-toface engagement with transverse panel 32 but noradhesively joined thereto. 7

When the blank is folded, the cut out portions-44 in panels 40 and 42 are in alignment asfare' the bottle receiving openings 38 and 50in transverse panels 36 and 46, respectively. The, openings 34 and 52 in panels 32 and 48, respectively, are also aligned. In its folded and adhesively joined condition, as shown in FIG. 3, the

two sixty-four ounce glass containers or two one gallon I paper containers a relatively heavy paperboard of 28 7 point caliper would be preferred.

Referring particularly toFlG. 2, the blank is provided V with a plurality of transverse score lines 16, 18, 20, 22,

carrier is complete and is ready for shipment in its flat state. I

While [have shown the handle panels and separator panels joined with adhesive, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatthey also may be secured by other means, as for example, with staples.

In order to erect the carrier to accept containers the handle and separator sections of the flat carrier shown in FIG. 3'are pushed toward each other in the direction of the opposed arrows 58 and 60, as shown in FIG. 4.

Scorelines 20, 22 'jand define two handle panels 7 This causes the transverse panels that include the container receiving openings to fold or belly outwardly along score lines 16, 18, and 24, 26, 28. In their fully extended condition the transverse panels will be substantially parallel to each other and will assume a substantially horizontal position with respect to the vertically extending handle and container separator sections. Thus, transverse panel 46 will move out of contact with transverse panel 36 and become parallel to transverse panel 48 on one side of the handle and separator sections. Similarly, as the handle and separator sections are pushed toward each other in the direction of the arrows 58 and 60, transverse panel 36 will become parallel to transverse panel 32 on the opposite side of the handle and separator sections. With the transverse panels in fully extended condition openings 50 in transverse panel 46 will register with openings 52 in transverse panel 48 and openings 38 in transverse 36 will register with openings 34 in transverse panel 32.

As shown in FIG. 4, with the transverse panels in substantially fully extended condition, each pair of aligned container receiving openings will readily fit over or receive the body of a container. In FIG. 4 the transverse panels are shown slightly less than fully extended for purposes of clarity. It will be understood that in inserting the containers into the carrier, or, alternatively, in positioning the carrier about the containers, it may be desirable to have the transverse panels contact each other. Adhesively joined, juxtaposed separator panels 30 and 54, which together form a container separator section, will be disposed between the two rows of bottles as will adhesively joined, juxtaposed handle panels 40 and 42 which together form a handle section of the carrier. The bottom edge 62 of the container separator section extends to a plane formed by the bottom of the bottles 12, shown by the dash line 64 in FIG. 4. This assures that the fully extended container receiving sections of the carrier will be located at a predetermined position with respect to the parallel body walls of the containers, thus providing a well balanced package that may be easily carried. With the container receiving sections in their fully extended position, the upper edge 66 of the handle section is substantially aligned with or slightly below the tops of the bottles. This arrangement will permit stacking of the carriers with bottles in place without bending or damaging the handle section of the carrier.

With the bottles in place in the carrier, when the handle section is raised in the direction of the arrow 68 (FIG. 5), the extended transverse panels 46, 48 will move from a position in which they are in a substantially horizontal position with respect to the handle and separator sectionsand in which the panels are substantially parallel to each other to an angular position with respect to each other. As the handle section is raised the inner edge 47 of transverse panel 46 will tend to separate from the inner edge 49 of transverse panel 48, and the angle 70 between the two panels 46 and 48 will tend to increase. The same action takes place with respect to the transverse panels on the opposite side of the handle and separator sections.

As the angle 70 between the transverse sections increases with upward movement of the handle sections, a projection of the circular openings 34, 38, 50 and 52 against a plane parallel to the base line of the package will tend to form an ellipse. The lesser diameter of the ellipse will become increasingly smaller as upward movement of the handle section continues. Therefore, as upward movement of the handle section continues, the inner and outer segments of the edges of the openings adjacent the lesser diameter will grip the parallel body walls of the bottles and prevent them from being removed from or falling out of the carrier. The greater the force pulling upwardly on the handle section, the greater the frictional gripping force exerted by the inner and outer segments of the openings on opposed segments of the bottle walls. The harder one pulls on the handle section, the tighter the holding power of the carrier.

In the erected container carrying position, separator section 30, 54 and the lower portion of handle section I 40, 42 serve to prevent the containers in the two rows from contacting each other. The container receiving openings in each of the four transverse panels may be spaced sufficiently far apart, transversely of the blank, to prevent or reduce contact of the containers within each of the rows.

While I have shown the carrier in use with six containers in FIGS. 1-5, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the carrier may be used with two, four, eight or more containers, the number of containers being limited only by their size and the strength of the carrier material. Additionally, it will be apparent that containers having a shape other than cylindrical may be used with my carrier. For example, FIGS. 6-7 illustrate a carrier suitable for use with two standard paper cartons of rectangular cross section.

Referring to FIG. 7, a rectangular blank is divided into eight panels by transverse score lines 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92 and 94. As shown, the blank may be of corrugated container board with the flutes 95 in the corrugated liner preferably extending in the same direction as the long dimension of the blank. An opening 96 is die cut in each of transverse panels 98, 100, 102, 104. While the opening shown is in the form of a square, it will be apparent that rectangularly, triangularly, hexagonally or other shaped openings may be utilized. It is only necessary that the shape of the opening conform generally to the shape of the cross section of the container to be used with the carrier and that the body walls of the container be substantially parallel to each other.

When the die cut blank 80 is folded back upon itself and the container separator and handle panels joined in the manner described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 5, the unerected carrier is ready for use with the containers. Referring to FIG. 6, the carrier 106 has been erected by pushing handle section 108 toward container separator section 110 and inserting the cartons into the openings 96 in fully extended transverse sections 98, 100, 102, 104. Raising handle section 108 causes the inner and outer edges 97 and 99, respectively, of openings 96 to frictionally grip the inner and outer parallel body walls, respectively, of the carton 112 relativeto the carrier. The principle involved is, of course, the same as that described in connection with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, i.e., as transverse panels 102 and 104 on one side of the handle section 108 and transverse panels 98 and 100 on the opposite side of handle section 108 are separated along their inner edges, and as the angle 114 increases, a projection of the opening 96 against a plane parallel to the base line 115 of the package will decrease in the direction of the double-headed arrow 116 but will, of

. to blank 14 shown in FIG. 2, has a plurality of container receiving openings defined by circular opening 122 with a circular score line 124 surrounding each of the openings 122. A plurality of spaced cuts 126 are pro vided extending from the edge of each opening 122 to score line 124. These cuts define a plurality of tabs 128 foldable with respect to transverse panel 130 along a blank generally similar formed, except, of course, that it is of double thickness and has extra panels 166 and 168 which formthe sections 152 for carrying advertising material. To complete the carrier 150 from partially folded blank 162 (ie, the blank having been folded along fold line 164) score line 124. Transverse panel 132, foldable with respect to panel 130 along score line 134, contains a corresponding number of transversely aligned openings 136. The tabs 128 tend to increase the frictional contact between the container receiving openings and the parallel body walls ofthe containers.

The diameter of circular score line 124 is the same as or slightly greater than the diameter of each of the cylindrical containers to be used with this form of can rier. When the transverse panels 130 and 132 are folded into substantiallyparallel relationship to each other in the manner referred to above, with openings the blank is foldedalong line 167 and handle panels 169 and 170 are adhesively joined as are separator panels 172 and 174.

Whenerected,carrier"l50 has extended transverse sections that are of double thickness as shown at176 and 178 of FIG. 13. The handle section 154 is of four laminations as is the separator section 156. These multiple laminations] give added strengthof the carrier for" transporting heavy containers. 1 t

It will be apparent that when the opposed end sec-.

tions 154 and 156 are'pushed toward eachother the. openings 180 in transverse panels 158and 160 will be in register when the transverse panels'are substantially parallel to each other and in substantially horizontal position with respect to the handle section v154 and separator section 156. Containers may then be readily in.- serted in the openings 180.

It will be understood that the inner and outer segments of the edgesof container openings 180 grip the containers (not shown in FIG. 13) and preventtheir being removedfrom the carrier when handle section 122 in'register with openings 136, and the carrier is pol sitioned about containers 140 by pressing the carrier over the containers, the tab members 128will fold up wardly along score line 124 and grip the side walls of a the container as shownin FIGS. 9 and 11. When the 154 is raised, in the manner previously described.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention, in the use of such opposed transverse panels 130 and 132 are canted with respect to each other by raising handle portion 142, the lesser diameter ofa projectionof openings 122 and 136 against a plane parallel to the base line of the package will decrease as the angle 146 between the transverse panels increases. Thus, as shown in FIG. 12, the dimen-;

sion represented by the double-headed arrow 144, which represents the lesser diameter of an ellipse, will decrease as the angle 146 increases. As the angle 146 increases, the frictional force between the wall of the containers 140 and the tabs 128 in the area of the lesser diameter 144 of the opening will also increase.

It will be apparent that the containerreceiving openings having tabs such as 128 may be other than circular in shape.

Either one or both surfaces of the blank may be. coated with a wax, resin, plastic or the like in the area of the container receiving openings to increase the friction between the edges of the openings or the tabs and the containers. I

A still further embodiment of my invention is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 wherein the carrier is laminated to give it added strength and also is provided with additional sections for carrying advertising material. FIG. 13 shows a carrier, generally designated 150, having a section 152 on each side of handle section 154 and separator section 156 and intermediate extended transverse panels 158 and 160 that may be used for advertising legends.

The blank 162 for constructing carrier 150 is shown in FIG. 14. Fold line 164 extends alongthe length of the blank so that when the blank is folded over upon itself along line 164, as shown by curved arrow 165, and the two face-to-face portions are adhesively joined,

terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, it being recognized that various modifications are possible within the'scope of the invention claimed. 7

What is claimed is: V V

1. A collapsible carrier for containers having parallel body walls, saidcarrier being formed from a rectangular blank of material and adapted to carry. at least two containers,said carrier in its erected container carrying condition comprising,

a downwardly extending container separator section, an upwardly extending handle section upwardly movable with respect to said separator section, and a container receiving section on each side of and intermediate saidseparator and handle sections, each of said container receiving sections comprising an upper and a lower transversepa'nel, each of said I upper panels being foldable along a first score line. with respect to said handle section and each of said.

lower panels being foldable along a second score line with respect to said separator section, said 7 upper transverse panel being adapted to be placed in substantially parallel relationship with respect to said lower transverse panel,

7 each of said lower transverse panels having an inner end, the inner end of one of said lower transverse,

each of said openings being of substantially equal size and'of a shape substantially the same as the shape of a transverse cross section of said parallel bodywalled container,

to that showers FIG. 2 .is

the opening in said upper transverse panel being in register with the opening in said lower transverse panel when said upper transverse panel is placed in said substantially parallel relationship with respect to said lower transverse panel, each of said openings in register being adapted to receive the body of a container, said downwardly extending separator section being sufficiently long as to extend downwardly to a plane formed by the bottom of said containers when said transverse panels are placed in said substantially parallel relationship whereby said container receiving sections are located at a predetermined position with respect to the parallel body walls of said containers and the upper edge of said upwardly extending handle section is substantially aligned with the top of said containers when said separator section extends to said plane formed by the bottom of the containers, and the edges of said openings being adapted to grip the parallel walls of the body of said container when said handle section is raised with respect to said container separator section to move said upper and lower transverse panels out of said parallel relationship. 2. A carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said upper and lower transverse panels contains a plu- 10 rality of openings.

3. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1, wherein said carrier is formed from a rectangular blank of sheet material folded along a third score line to form two plies, said handle section and said container separator section each comprising two juxtaposed panels of said folded blank, the inner faces of said juxtaposed panels being adhesively joined to each other.

4. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1 which in its collapsed condition is flat.

5. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said container openings are circular.

6. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said container openings are polygonal.

7. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced cuts are provided extending radially away from each of said openings to define a plurality of tabs surrounding each said opening, said tabs being adapted to frictionally engage the parallel walls of said container whereby said grip by the edges of said openings on said parallel walls of said container is increased.

8. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein the surface of the blank in the area of the container re ceiving openings is coated with a friction increasing material.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 1 3,868,140 7 DATED I February 25, 1975 iNVENTOR( 1 Robert L. Gordon it is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 5, line 18 after "transverse" insert panel Col. 8, line 14 delete "of" and insert to Signed and sealed this 6th day of May 1975.

(SEAL) Attest:

C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer and Trademarks 

1. A collapsible carrier for containers having parallel body walls, said carrier being formed from a rectangular blank of material and adapted to carry at least two containers, said carrier in its erected container carrying condition comprising, a downwardly extending container separator section, an upwardly extending handle section upwardly movable with respect to said separator section, and a container receiving section on each side of and intermediate said separator and handle sections, each of said container receiving sections comprising an upper and a lower transverse panel, each of said upper panels being foldable along a first score line with respect to said handle section and each of said lower panels being foldable along a second score line with respect to said separator section, said upper transverse panel being adapted to be placed in substantially parallel relationship with respect to said lower transverse panel, each of said lower transverse panels having an inner end, the inner end of one of said lower transverse panels being joined to the inner end of the other of said lower transverse panel at said second score line, each of said upper and lower transverse panels having a container receiving opening formed therein, each of said openings being of substantially equal size and of a shape substantially the same as the shape of a transverse cross section of said parallel body-walled container, the opening in said upper transverse panel being in register with the opening in said lower transverse panel when said upper transverse panel is placed in said substantially parallel relationship with respect to said lower transverse panel, each of said openings in register being adapted to receive the body of a container, said downwardly extending separator section being sufficiently long as to extend downwardly to a plane formed by the bottom of said containers when said transverse panels are placed in said substantially parallel relationship whereby said container receiving sections are located at a predetermined position with respect to the parallel body walls of said containers and the upper edge of said upwardly extending handle section is substantially aligned with the top of said containers when said separator section extends to said plane formed by the bottom of the containers, and the edges of said openings being adapted to grip the parallel walls of the body of said container when said handle section is raised with respect to said container separator section to move said upper and lower transverse panels out of said parallel relationship.
 2. A carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said upper and lower transverse panels contains a plurality of openings.
 3. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1, wherein said carrier is formed from a rectangular blank of sheet material folded along a third score line to form two plies, said handle section and said container separator section each comprising two juxtaposed panels of said folded blank, the inner faces of said juxtaposed panels being adhesively joined to each other.
 4. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1 which in its collapsed condition is flat.
 5. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said container openings are circular.
 6. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said container openings are polygonal.
 7. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced cuts are provided extending radially away from each of said openings to define a plurality of tabs surrounding each said opening, said tabs being adapted to frictionally engage the parallel walls of said container whereby said grip by the edges of said openings on said parallel walls of said container is increased.
 8. A collapsible carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein the surface of the blank in the area of the container receiving Openings is coated with a friction increasing material. 